The Importance of Virtual Tours when Selling Real Estate During Covid-19
Thursday Feb 04th, 2021
Pre-covid, virtual tours were viewed as an enhancement to a property listing. Today, they are considered a necessity.
What is a virtual tour?
There is a lot of ambiguity with what constitutes a 'virtual tour'. It may be easier to highlight what doesn't constitute a virtual tour.
- a photographic slideshow
- a walk-through video
While both of these options may give a home buyer a sense of what the home offers, they are in no way immersive and do not allow the viewer to navigate through the listing. Rather, they present the listing without giving the viewer any control over the content. These are considered 'guided tours'.
Virtual tours by definition offer a more immersive experience. They give viewers a detailed look at the listing, allow for a sense of layout, should be functional and easy to use, and yes, should offer the ability to view in true 3D using VR tech, though most also allow viewing in 2D.
What are the benefits of using a virtual tour to promote my listing?
An immersive virtual tour serves five key purposes.
- Using a virtual tour to promote your property is SAFETY. By eliminating unnecessary home viewings, you reduce the risk of potential Covid exposure.
- It allows home buyers to preview the listing, prior to booking a physical showing.
- A good virtual tour, coupled with high-quality photography may eliminate people from booking a showing if features of the listing do not suit their particular needs or wants.
- A quality virtual tour may eliminate the need for a second showing by allowing buyers to return to the tour to recall certain features.
- Homes offering a virtual tour see on average a 70% increase in online marketing traffic.
Below is an example of an immersive tour. While this tour autoplays, the viewer can take control of the tour at any point and move in any direction.
Equity One provides this type of tour to all of our clients, irrespective of the size or price point of the home.
